Second Chances
by bigFanofWriting
Summary: Sakura Haruno was determined to bring back Sasuke. She thought she knew everything about herself, and that she had a normal background. But, whenever Lady Tsunade gives her orders to stall or even kill Sasuke, just to break the ice and hopefully soften some evil within him, it couldn't get more complicated. Why doesn't Sasuke kill her? Why isn't she allowed to into the ruins?
1. Chapter 1

**This is the first time I'm publishing one of my stories. I'm just figuring things out, so sorry if the layout is.**

**~Attention~ **

**This story contains SasuSaku in it. There will be a lot more as the story progresses. This is what I'd like to happen at the end and after the war. It'll be a mix between romance and humour. Also, sorry if I miss spelled somethings like names.**

**I do NOT own Naruto. I am simply a fan**

" We're prepared to give the final attack," Lady Tsunade bit her lip as she Shizune announced the news. The Leaf Village Elders sat to her left, staring at her intensely.

" Sakura!" Lady Tsunade snapped, " I want you to go to the frontlines with Naruto and the others."  
The elders gasped. Sakura looked at her, also confused. Throughout the war she was mostly at the back, healing the wounded.

" Are you sure that's a good idea?" Shizune murmured, " Sakura is one of the best medical ninja from the village. She's a big part of that medical squad, and taking her out will leave them almost helpless."

" They have you," Lady Tsunade turned to Sakura, " We need you supporting us in the frontline. The five kage have faced Madara, and he is the toughest opponent all of us have ever faced. We need her help at the very front, supporting Naruto and the others."

" But they're all Chunnin!" one of the elders said. Lady Tsunade twitched. She was too distracted to identify the voice.

" They're Chunnin all right," Lady Tsunade smiled, " But they're all jonin standard."

Sakura bit her lip, " What do you want me to do?"  
Lady Tsunade looked at her, " We have had some spies infiltrate their hideout. These spies learned that Sasuke will make his way through a certain path, at a certain time to the ruins. That's where you and Shizune come in,"

" What?" Shizune looked at her mentor with as much confusion as Sakura did. They both glanced at each other.

" I want you to stop Sasuke, or at least make him late!" Sakura gasped. Was the Hokage seriously considering her taking on Sasuke? Was she actually expected to use the skills she had just honed on him?

Lady Tsunade nodded, " Sakura…something's telling me you have to do this mission. I'm sorry, but I've got this feeling that fighting him might bring something good. Will you take this on?"

Shizune didn't need a second to think this through, " Hai Milady!"

" Hai; Milady," Sakura whispered. She knew that ever since the start of the war, those few precious training times where she learned to miraculously do earth style in such a short period, and where she perfected her chakra control even more gave her a whole new level.

Shizune put her hand on Sakura's shoulder, " You can do it, Sakura." There was something in Shizune's eyes she couldn't read. Same with Lady Tsunade. Her master knew something about her that she didn't even know.

Sakura stopped. Her heart started to beat faster as she realised this was the place she and Shizune were meant to stall Sasuke and his two other friends. They had made arrangements, Shizune would handle this Suigitsu and Jugo, while Sakura would go for Sasuke. Naruto would be at the ruins, along with the five Kage, trying to stop Madara.  
She stiffened as she felt Sasuke's chakra. Her fists clenched as she could feel a gentle thud of three pairs of feet landing.


	2. Chapter 2

**So, this is my second chapter. It took me an entire hour to write. Just a quick note that I might make up some of my own jutsus in the story. The jutsus in this story are from the anime. Also, I might not have spelt Suigitsus and Jugos names right. Anyway, enjoy**

" Is Konoha really this short on ninja?" she heard the familiar voice that brought her joy three years ago, " Because they're sending out two hopeless girls to stop three powerful ninja. Do they underestimate us…or do they just want you two dead?"

Sakura took a deep breath, " We're here to stop you."

Shizune bit her lip as she glanced at the pink haired Sakura. Shizune knew this was the last thing Sakura wanted to do. She heard about the incident whenever Sakura couldn't kill Sasuke, and he nearly killed her.

A boy with a bright purple shirt and an enormous sword raised his eyebrows, " Sasuke I didn't know you knew pretty girls. It's quite refreshing after Karin."

" Stop joking Suigitsu," a larger man with messy ginger hair punched Suigitsu. Suigitsu swore under his breath. Sometimes Jugo didn't know how strong he was without the curse mark.

" Listen Sakura, Shizune," Sasuke reached out for his own sword, " I don't feel like killing you today. You can step aside. Consider this the extent of my generosity.

Sakura had an urge to give a comeback and say, " Oh really. I must be the luckiest girl in the entire world to have you not killing me," but she remembered something important that Lady Tsunade taught her. Never. Ever. Do that in her situation. If she kept serious, then her head would stay focused.

" Sasuke Uchiha, under the orders of the five kage we are here to stop you from going any further," Shizune said in her serious tone. It was one of her skills. She could remain calm in any condition.

" The only pretty girls you know want to kill you, Sasuke. The ugliest woman ever born wants to marry you. How lucky you are," Suigitsu joked. He could feel the tension between Sasuke and Sakura.  
Sasuke sent ripples of electricity down his sword, " Prepare to die!"

" NOW!" Shizune screamed. Sakura summoned all her strength and hit he ground. It distracted Jugo and Suigitsu, making them cling onto nearby trees. Sasuke stayed perfectly calm. He expected this sort of thing.

" Go!" he barked. Jugo ran. His head was filled with confusion. Sasuke would usually go first in this sort of situation. Was he…hesitating? Jugo bit his lip as he summoned the curse mark's power and started hitting the Shizune girl. Sakura was the leader, and

Sasuke's strategy was to always go for the leader himself. Sasuke's short time with Orochimaru must have softened him a bit, which was a relief to Jugo. He never wanted to meet the Sasuke that supposedly sacrificed Karin and left him and Suigitsu.  
Suigitsu, meanwhile, ran for Sakura. He started hitting her with poisonous kunai. To his enormous surprise, she dodged every single one of them flawlessly without any effort.

" Water style clone jutsu!" his two water clones ran for Sakura. Sakura was far too intelligent to fall for that common distraction. As Suigitsu appeared behind her back and plunged his sword into her, he realised she had read him and replaced herself with a standard clone. How could he have been so stupid?

Sakura ran for Sasuke. Sasuke sighed. He didn't want to be the one to do it. Sakura sent two kunais flying at him. He dodged them easily. Almost too easily. He turned around to see Sakura lunging towards him with chakra in her fist. He didn't dodge that without a scratch. Sasuke brought out his famous sword and sent fire to it. It surprised Sakura and she lost her balance. She fell onto broken branches and by the looks of it, twisted her ankle. Sasuke closed his eyes and pierced Sakura with his sword. Then he smelt something on fire. He opened his eyes. There was a log on fire. Sakura had used the replacement jutsu, thank goodness. Sasuke shook his head and repeated the sentence to himself. Sakura had used the replacement Jutsu, unfortunately.

He turned around again to see Sakura lunging at him again. He chuckled. She should be smarter to know that he knew her game. He threw some kunai at her and turned around again, expecting to see a shocked Sakura lunging at him again. But he didn't. His eyes opened wide whenever he felt pain spread around his back. He ended up crashing into a tree. He turned around again to see Sakura. She had kunais stuck into her. He watched her take them out. No more games, Sasuke thought.

He activated his Mangekyo sharingan. Sakura twitched. He really did want to kill her. He was ready to use his Mangekyo, something she knew he was probably saving for Naruto…to kill him. Sakura gulped. Don't look into his eyes. It wasn't because of genjutsu, it never affected her. It was another secret reason she never wanted to surface.

Sakura and Sasuke exchanged the traditional hand to hand combat. Sasuke smirked. He knew Sakura wouldn't look him in the eyes. He knew it wasn't because of his genjutsu. He thought it was because Sakura would weaken. Well, he wouldn't weaken. Sakura was starting to win. Sasuke was being pushed further back, but then he had an idea. That gift from Orochimaru would be useful now. He dipped his kunai in the purple ointment in his pocket and then threw it. It merely scratched her, but he knew it would do the trick. Sakura gulped. She was skilled enough to recognise whenever a poison entered her body. But the good thing was that Sakura had endurance. She could endure things Naruto and Sasuke would drop dead within a second. This poison was strong, and she knew it. But she would have some time before it fully took over her. About three minutes…just like the Sasori fight. It was enough.

Sasuke was surprised to see her still counter attack him. He knew the poison was inside her body, and he saw sweat on her face. Then he remembered Orochimaru's words.

_" This poison has different timing on different people. One me, it would take an hour, on you it would take thirty seconds. On that Naruto boy it would take about a minute and on that pink haired girl of yours, knowing that she taught by Tsunade and hearing how she beat Sasori, and impressive three minutes. Keep that in mind to assess other opponents"_

_He had to keep this up for three minutes. That was easier said than done. He kept on fighting for two minutes, then something unexpected happened. Shizune's needles. He wasn't aware of them. He was preserving his power for Naruto, so he was fighting with a fifth of his strength. A fifth wasn't enough to dodge them, and to escape being pinned to a tree. _

" No!" how could he have been so foolish. He glared as the pink haired girl started running towards him, with all her chakra in her fist.

Just as she was about to hit him, she stopped, with her fist only a milimetre away from the tip of his nose.  
Sakura looked at him. She wasn't looking directly in his eyes, Sasuke saw that. She remembered everything. All her times with Sasuke. The first time they met, when Sasuke said he thought her forehead wasn't big and told her that her hair was pretty. The time they became Team 7. The time he called her annoying. The time he lay before her, half dead in the land of waves. The time in the chunnin exams, whenever his curse mark appeared for the first time. The time he fought with Gaara. The time he lay in the hospital bed, near his death because of his encounter with Itachi. The time he left Konoha. The time she met him for the first time in two years. The time he tried to kill her.

Tears escaped though her eyes, " Damn you! Why can I never bring myself to do this?!"  
Shizune ran. Tsunade knew this would happen. Then why did she send Sakura? To soften Sasuke up? What did that mean? Before Shizune could reach them her way was blocked by Suigitsu and Jugo.

" Say goodbye to your friend, Sasuke will kill her now," Jugo said.

The poison wasn't working yet, Sakura still had time to get out. She started to walk away but then she felt something. Something painful. It was too late! The poison made Sakura fall to the ground. It made her tremble out of the pain. This was it, Sakura thought, I had a nice life, but now the person I love will kill me and Shizune because I couldn't bring myself to complete the mission.  
Sasuke stared at Sakura. He could end her, right here, right now. But he just couldn't do it. He picked her up. Suigitsu and Jugo started at each other. Would he throw her up high and leave her to rot in the trees? Would he throw her off the cliff?  
Sasuke carried Sakura to Shizune, and laid her on the ground before her. He threw something into Shizunes hands.

" That's the antidote." he turned to Jugo and Suigitsu, " Let's go. I have another fight lined up for me."  
Suigitsu started at Sasuke, " Aren't you going to finish her off."

" Consider it repayed debt, Sakura. For that time in the Land of Tea," Sasuke said, gesturing for Suigitsu and Jugo to follow him.  
Shizune stood, dumbstruck. She quickly applied the ointment on Sakura's scratch. She saw some purple liquid leak out of the scratch. Sakura started to twitch.

" What happened? Am I dead?" She whispered, staring at the clouds.

" Your alive, somehow…What was that about?" Shizune asked Sakura. Sakura stood up, her legs shaking. Shizune gestured for her to lie down.

" I have to stop them Shizune, they'll kill each other, I know it," Shizune started walking towards the direction Sasuke and his gang went.

" No Sakura! Listen to me, let fate decide their destiny. Besides, you can't go to the ruins!"

" Why not!" Sakura snapped, " Why can't I go to the ruins. I don't care if I'll get killed, I'd prefer to sacrifice myself than have them two kill each other needlessly!"

She jumped onto the tree and started to run towards the ruins. Shizune bit her lip. She didn't let Sakura see that her leg was broken, because Sakura would insist to heal it, wasting her own chakra. Now she wished she let Sakura see it, because Sakura would have passed out of the loss of chakra and she wouldn't leave her alone.

" Why?" Shizune groaned.


	3. Chapter 3

**I wrote this chapter, along with the rest of the story a couple of weeks ago. I made a big mistake with chapter 2, because I wrote it out again without looking at the original version. I really wish I looked at the original one now, but there's no going back. I had enough sense to use the original chapter 3 this time. Only edited spelling mistakes. I just realised what I want to do with this story. I'll explain it all later...after the story finishes. But for now...enjoy :)**

Sasuke looked at Naruto. They were both breathless. Sasuke got to the ruins, and the long awaited battle between the two was actually happening. Both of them were equal match. Orochimaru and Tobi looked at them, pleased. Only the Hokage, Lady Tsunade and Kakashi were present. They had managed to push on further. All the jinchuriki were tied to stone pillars, except Naruto and Gaara.

" This is it!" Naruto screeched as he summoned all his power. Every ounce of his chakra was outside him, ready to strike. He promised to the Kage that he wouldn't let Tobi get his hands on the ten tails. And Naruto never goes back down on a promise.

Sasuke did the same thing, making sure he was ready to give the final attack all he got. Like lightening, the two ran into each other. All the spectators held their breath as the two clashed.

But, they didn't hit each other. There was a pink haired figure in the middle. She separated both of them as she tumbled down. She had taken all the impact of their attack.

Sasuke and Naruto gasped. They were both out of chakra, and Sakura, the last person that was meant to get hurt by their attack was lying on the ground, having taking the entire impact.

Lady Tsunade stood up, " Sakura! Get out of there! Can you hear me! Sakura!"

Everybody watched as the girl twitched. She was alive. She survived. Orochimaru, being him, started thinking about how long he would lost if he stole the girls abilities of endurance.

" Sakura!" both of them screamed. Everybody looked over to Sasuke. Nobody expected him to care.

" I'm fine," she choked, " I…I…"

" Sakura, hold on! I'll get you out of here!" Lady Tsunade rushed forward for Sakura. Orochimaru appeared in front of her. Kakashi hit Orochimaru, surprising him.

" I need to stop it before…" Lady Tsunade realised she was giving too much away. She started to run towards Sakura again, but her body wasn't strong enough and she collapsed.

" Why!? Sakura, you're an idiot," Sasuke murmured. He tried to get up, but all his energy was put into his attack. He wouldn't have survived. Naruto realised the same thing.  
Sakura got up. She was bleeding heavily. Her face was as beat up as it was back in the Chunnin exams.  
She started to walk forward to the boys. All of a sudden, green signs appeared on her entire body.

" No!" Tsunade screamed. She pushed herself to get closer to Sakura.  
Meanwhile, Sakura felt overwhelming pain. Like the signs were burning her. She looked at them realising it was a seal.

She fell to the ground, confused, " What's happening to me?!" Her entire body trembled as she felt like something was being released in her body. Like a chakra.  
She tried to get up again, but her body wouldn't let her. Like Tsunade, she started to crawl.

" Sakura get out of here! No, get to me! Just get away from Tobi and these ruins," Lady Tsunade screamed.

Orochimaru winced. He stared at the seal taking over Sakura's body. He knew the seal. He thought that the person who carried the seal never existed. That the baby must have died.

" The seal of The Rinnegan," Orochimaru started to laugh in a vicious way. Tobi's eyes stared at the girl.

" What?!" Naruto exclaimed, " What's going on Sakura-chan?"

" Impossible! We killed that thing before it was born! " Tobi exclaimed.

" She doesn't know who she really is," Orochimaru's cackled, " She doesn't know what incredible power she possess. Or who her real parents are. But, Tsunade, you know, don't you?"

The determined Hokage bit her lip and stood up, " I promised her mother that she's never fall into your hands! Kakashi, get Sakura out of her and perform any kind of seal. Just keep her powers in."

Hai!" Kakashi started to run towards Sakura, but Orochimaru took him by surprise this time and sent him fly back.

" No way." He turned to around, " Sasuke! Get the girl and we're out of here!"

Sasuke was already standing up. He looked at the suffering and confused Sakura. He looked at the pleading Naruto and Lady Tsunade. He looked at his old friends. Slowly, closed his eyes and shook his head.

" I'm getting Sakura; far away from you!" Sasuke screamed. He helped Naruto stand up.

" Nobody dares to disobey me," Tobi took out his sword. He started to attack the boys.

Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other. They had no chakra left. Nothing. They were too weak to do any taijustu.

Sasuke picked up Sakura, " We're just going to have to dodge, and get out of here!"

Naruto nodded, " Right."

Before they could move, Tobi hit them both, resulting in them lying on the ground far away from Sakura.  
Sakura tried to get up, despite the overwhelming pain. Tobi grinned as he pointed his sword in her direction

" There will never be room for two Rinnegans in the world. You were born with it, while the others proved worthy of it. You don't deserve such power!" Tobi lunged his sword at Sakura…and she stopped it. She was standing now, her legs shaking from the wounds and the seal. The seal was fading now, and it was becoming harder to move. She grabbed the sword. Her hands were full of blood, but she didn't care. She snapped the sword in two.

" What are you talking about!" she tried to control her chakra, but it was impossible. She had to do with what she got.

" You are the famous child born to with the Rinnegan," Tobi explained, pushing Sakura back, " You were never meant to live. We made sure to kill you whenever we found out Rose was going to have you, so that you wouldn't be a threat. Looks like you were born earlier. There was a prophecy that the child of the third person to possess the Rinnegan, the child related distantly to the first Sage of Six Paths would have the ability in her blood, and be able to stop me."

Sakura glanced at Lady Tsunade, who was crying. Shizune had finally gotten here, and was helping Lady Tsunade up.

" Tsunade must have been a good friend of your mothers. It was said she had a bond with a person from the Haruno Clan." Tobi smiled, " Since you adoptive father was also from the Haruno's, I didn't suspect you."

Tobi made his way casually to Lady Tsunade. Shizune's attacks were pointless. Tobi knocked out Shizune with a single finger. He took a kunai and aimed it at Lady Tsunade's heart.

Sakura gasped. Her eyes closed. She felt incredible power overcome her. Power she never felt in her life. She could feel that the seal was broken. Her new chakra danced around her. She opened her eyes.  
She could hear the gasps. Her wounds started healing by themselves. Knowledge of incredible jutsus poured into her.

Tobi smiled, " Well, they have emerged. So, Sakura Haruno, I challenge you for your eyes!"  
Sakura didn't know what was going on, but she felt somebody behind her. Tobi! She threw a punch at him. She missed, yet the chakra but a stone behind him.

Within seconds, she proved Tobi she had the stronger eyes. She could feel Tobi's doubt and anxiety taking over. Everything she threw at him hit him harder than she could have every imagined. She finally had him cornered.

Then, marks around his eyes appeared. His rinnegan faded away. Had she beaten him? What was going on? She took a step back, unsure of what was going around her.

She ran towards Sasuke and Naruto. Both of them had their eyes closed, and she could hear their faint hearbeats. Tears sprang to her eyes as she couldn't hear their heartbeat. She layed them in front of her and cried. Tears fell on Sasuke's and Naruto's faces. She was sure they were dead. She gasped as she felt a cold hand touch her cheek. Sasuke's hand. Sasuke propped himself up. Sakura cried even harder and fell int Sasuke. All of a sudden Naruto wrapped his arms around them. He was also alive .Time stood still in that single precious moment. It was interrupted by clapping. Sakura heard clapping. She didn't care if the other shinobi had finally caught up with them.

" Does this mean?" Naruto asked Sasuke. Sasuke nodded, but then turned to me.

" It's been a long while since I've seen you with long hair." I glanced at my hair, puzzled. The chakra must have made my hair grow longer. She didn't recognise the voice, because from all that exhaustion…she passed out.


End file.
